Pick Me! Pick Me!

Pick Me! Pick Me!

Bible Blast: Read Mark 10:35-45

They replied, “When you sit on your glorious throne, we want to sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.” Mark 10:37

A man named Zebedee had at least two sons, James and John. These brothers were two of the twelve disciples who followed Jesus closely. In Matthew 4:21-22, it tells how James and John came to follow Jesus:

“A little farther up the shore he [Jesus] saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, repairing their nets. And he called them to come, too. They immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind.”

In today’s Bible Blast, we learn that James and John wanted something from Jesus. They wanted to sit next to him in heaven. They even agreed to suffer as Christ would suffer, thinking that would buy those special seats of honor. Basically they were saying, “Oh! Oh! Pick me! Pick me!”

Jesus said, “I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. God has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen.”

When the rest of the disciples got upset at James and John’s request, Jesus gave them a little teaching on humility and serving. He wanted them to understand that they should not be aiming at being the greatest, but they should be trying to take on the role of a servant. For us, that might mean, instead of requesting the special seats, we need to be content to sit on the floor. It also means that we probably say things like, “Hey, pick her! Pick her!”

Who is “her”? She might be the girl on the school bus no one ever sits with, and God wants you to sit with her. She might be the last one picked for kickball at recess, and God wants her to be the first one you pick when you are captain. She might be the girl who smells bad, and God wants you to spend time with her.

How can you show humility and a servant’s heart today?

Girl Gab: Are you happy for others when they receive special honors, or are you usually jealous? Pray this prayer: “Lord, I know you want me to be a servant. Help me to not always want a ‘seat of honor.’ Let me be content and joyful to serve others.”